Wire drawing apparatus



June 15, 1943. NYE 2,321,612

WIRE DRAWING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 28, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Mllllllllllllll lllllll INVENTOR.

N ORMAN H.NYE

ATTORNEYS June 15, 1943. N. H. NYE 2,321,612

WIRE DRAWING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 28, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

N O RMAN H. NYE

ATTORNEY-5 Patented June 15, 1943 WIRE DRAWING APPARATUS Norman 11. Nye,Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, assignor to The Vaughn Machin a corporation ofOhio Falls, Ohio,

ery Company, Cuyahoga Application August 28, 1940, Serial No. 354,550

11 Claims.

In the continuous drawing of wire, rod and the like, where the materialbeing drawn is passed through a series 01' dies or like elongating andreducing devices by being pulled by a corresponding series of drawingdrums or the like interposed between such dies and beyond the lastthereof in the series, the stretch of material between each such die andthe succeeding drawing device is, of course, necessarily placed undertension. It has also long been recognized as desirable to maintain undertension the stretch of the material thus being operated upon which liesbetween each die and the preceding drawing device.

One object in maintaining such back tension on the material being drawnis to insure proper frictional engagement thereof with the precedingdrum, i. e., prevent slippage of the material as it passes therearound.It has also been recognized that such back tension is desirable in orderto secure more effective operation of the die or equivalent elongatingand reducing device, e. g., the rolls in the case of a strip or sheetrolling mill.

Referring more specifically to the drawing of rod and wire, it has beencustomary to provide a device between each drum of a wire bench and thenext succeeding die, which will not only take up any slack in thecorresponding stretch of the wire being drawn, but also be so connectedwith the drawing blocks or drums as to maintain the wire under desiredtension. An early form of a continuous wire drawing machine constructedto operate in this fashion is shown in United States patent to SavilleNo. 954,888, dated April 12, 1910, and another form will be founddisclosed in Patents Nos. 1,108,971 to Clark, dated September 1, 1914and 1,518,714 to Vaughn et 31., dated December 9, 1924. The usualarrangement in such. devices is to provide a movable sheave around whichthe wire is looped in passing from one drawing block to the nextsucceeding die, the movement of such sheave being operated by means of acounterweight or the like to maintain such stretch of the wire underdesired tension. At the same time said movable sheave is interconnectedwith a driving mechanism for the respective drums so as to vary thespeed thereof in accordance with the slack in the material at the pointin question.

One principal'object of the present improved apparatus for drawing wireand the like is to provide a back tension device of the characterdescribed which will automatically impose any desired degree of backtension on the wire in advance of the die through which it is beingdrawn. Another object is to provide a mechanism for accomplishing theforegoing result, which will be simple and inexpensive to construct andwhich, if desired, may be readily incorporated in existing types ofcontinuous wire drawing benches or machines. Still another object is toprovide such an apparatus which may be readily adjusted or adapted forthe drawing of wire 01. various gauges while still retaining thecapacity for thus imposing any desired degree of back tension on thewire.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention,then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularlypointed out in the claims, the annexed drawings and the followingdescription setting forth in detail certain means and one mode ofcarrying out the invention, such disclosed means and mode illustrating,however, but one of various ways in which the principle of the inventionmay be used.

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a wire drawing bench or machine embodyingmy present improvements:

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a wiring diagram of one form of electrical control which maybe incorporated in the machine as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram illustrating an alternative form ofelectrical control which may be incorporated in the same machine.

Referring to the construction of wire drawing machine illustrated inFigs. 1 and 2, such machine follows in the main the design of continuouswire drawing machine or draw bench well known in the art and currentlyin extensive commercial use. Accordingly, certain parts which are moreor less standard are shown in diagrammatic form. As illustrated, themachine comprises a series I, 2 and 3 of wire drawing blocks or drums,also called capstans, mounted on the upper ends of vertical spindles la,2a and 3a which are suitably journaled in the frame 4 of the machine.The number of such blocks or drums may, of course, be greater or less,depending upon the requirements of the particular drawing operation. Theterminal drum 3 of the series will ordinarily be provided with upwardlyprojecting arms 3b constituting a reel on which the finished wire iscoiled preparatory to removal from the machine. The drums are rotated bya series of individual electric motors 5, 6 and I suitably intergearedwith the corresponding drum spindles, as diagrammatically shown in Fig.2.

Mounted on the frame of the machine, one adjacent each of the drawingblocks or drums I, 2 and 3, is a series of dies 8, 9 and I through whichthe wire passes on its way to the corresponding drum, it beingunderstood that the wire is given a suflicient number of turns aroundeach of the blocks so that when proper tension is maintained on thestretch of wire between the drum and the next succeeding die, slippageabout the drum will be prevented. As indicated, the stretch of wirelying between each drum and the next succeeding die is to be maintainedunder tension. To this end, such stretch of wire is looped about asheave II on the outer end of a swinging arm or lever I2 which iscarried by a vertical spindle I3 mounted on one side of the frame 4preferably adjacent the drive motor located rearwardly of the nextsucceeding die. From the sheave on such swinging arm the wire thenpasses around a stationary sheave I I on the top of the frame 4, whenceit may pass through the adjacent die in a straight line tangent to thenext succeeding drum or block of the series.

Each shaft I3 which thus carries a tension arm I2 is connected as bymeans of a segment gear I5 and pinion IS with a low horsepower D. C.motor ll of non-stalling type, which tends when in operation to rotatethe shaft I3, and thus the tension arm I2, in a counter-clockwisedirection. Obviously, depending upon the current supplied to the motorI! and the torque thus applied to the swing arm, the stretch of wirelooped about the sheave II will be subjected to a variabl tension.

The tension sheaves I I and associated parts, including the motors I1,are respectively located in advance of the drive motors for the wiredrawing drums to efi'ect a control action on such drive motors in amanner to be described. To this end, each tension sheave II isinterconnected with a rheostat I8 by an operating pinion I8 for suchrheostat which meshes with the segment gear I5- associated with thecorresponding tension arm I2. As best shown in Fig. 1, it will be notedthat the tension sheave I I associated with the first drawing drum anddrive motor of the series, is interconnected with a single rheostat I8,and that the next succeeding tension sheave I I is interconnected with arheostat I8 and a second rheostat I8a. Although there is illustrated aconstruction involvingonly three drawing drums, it will be understoodthat, in the event of a greater number of drawing drums, each drawindrum except the initial and terminal drawing drums will have associatedtherewith two rheostats I8 and I8a in the manner as shown for theintermediate drawing drum 2 in Fig. 1. The manner in which the rheostatsenter into the operation of the machine will be set forth in thedescription which follows of the wiring diagrams shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

It will also be understood, as shown in the said wiring diagrams, manualrheostats are provided for controlling the operation of the machine inaddition to the rheostats I8 and "la which are automatically operated bythe tension sheaves associated with each motor I'I.

Turning now to the wiring diagram shown in Fig. 3, it will be noted thatthe armatures 5a, 6a and la of the drive motors 5, 6 and I, areconnected in parallel with the leads 2I and 22 of the power line, andthat in the case of the two motors viz., 6 and I, with which tensionarms are associated, the armature Ila of the motor I! which is effectiveto exert a torque on its associated tension arm I2 tending to rotatesuch arm in a counter-clockwise direction, is connected in series withthe next succeeding drive motor armature. The several drive andtensioning motors 5, B, I and I! have shunt wound fields 5b, 6b, lb andND. The tension arm operated rheostats I8 are connected in series withthe fields of the driving motors for the drawing drums with which theyare associated in all cases except the last or reeling drum 3, therheostats I8 being connected in sreies with the fields 5b and 6b for thearrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A tension arm operated rheostat I8awill be associated with all the wire-drawing drums except the first andlast, and for the arrangement shown is connected in series with thefield III) of the tensioning motor H associated with the intermediatewire-drawing drum 2. To complete the control for the variouselectrically operated motors, a manually adjustable rheostat 1c isconnected in series with the field ID for the last wire drawing drum 3in the series. Likewise, manually adjustable rheostats I'Ic areconnected in series with the field I'Ib of the tensioning motors I1. Thefield Nb of the tensioning motor I! immediately preceding the lastwire-drawing drum 3 is also provided with a manually operable rheostatI'Id. It will be understood that the particular arrangement of themanually operable rheostats I0 and H11 is employed only for the lastwire drawing drum of the series, this being the drum 3 of Figs. 1 and 2.Likewise, the single tension arm operated rheostat I8 employed for thefield b of the motor 5 is provided only for the first wire drawing drumof the series, this being the drum I of Figs. 1 and 2. It will also beunderstood that aside from the noted exceptions for the first and lastdrums of the series, the electrical hook-up for all intermediate drumswill be as shown for the drive motor 6 for the intermediate drum 2 ofFigs. 1 and 2.

In operating the machine with the motor armatures and fields connectedas shown in Fig. 3, just described, the several manual rheostats are setor adjusted so as to distribute power to the successive driving motors5, 6 and I in amount approximately that required as determined bycalculation or test for continuously drawing a wire or rod of givenmaterial through the successive dies. gUnder theoretically perfect wiredrawing conditions, it would be possible to fixedly adjust the controlsof the various drive motors and tensioning motors manually and themotors would then be operative to draw wire continuously whilemaintaining the desired tension upon the stretches of wire intermediatethe various wire drawing drums. However, under conditions of actualpractice, the torque and speed of the various wire drawing motors willvary at times and thus disturb the tension which it is desired tomaintain upon the stretches of wire intermediate the wire drawing drums.The arrangement diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 3 has been designedto provide an automatic control of the speed of operation of and torqueexerted by the various wire drawing drums and tension sheaves in orderto maintain the desired amount of back tension on the wire in advance ofeach of the wire drawing dies, notwithstanding variations in actualpractice of the theoretically calculated conditions.

The various rheostats shown in Fig. 3 having been adjusted fortheoretically perfect conditions, the wir is led through the successivedies and around the successive drums, the intermediate stretches thereofbeing looped over the tension sheaves before the drawing operation isbegun. Upon beginning the drawing operation, the current flowing throughthe armature 1a oi the last drive motor will also flow through thearmature Ila of the next preceding tension operating arm motor which isthereby energized to place under desired tension the correspondingstretch of wire looped over the sheave of the tension arm in question.Similarly, the current flowing through the armature 6a of theintermediate drive motor will also flow through the armature Ila of thetension motor I! in advance of such intermediate drive motor and causethe tension motor I! to place under desired tension the correspondingstretch of wire looped over the sheave preceding the intermediate wiredrawing drum. By connecting each armature Ila of the tensioning motorsI! in series with the armature or the next succeeding drive motor, itwill be apparent that the back tension maintained upon the stretch ofwire in front of the die preceding such succeeding drive motor will beresponsive to the torque exerted by the armature of such succeedingdrive motor, the arrangement being such; that as the torque of thesucceeding drive motor increases, a correspondingly increased torque isapplied to the tensioning motor I! by which the successivelyintermediate stretches of -th e wire are maintained under tension.

By reason of the fact that the back tension imparted to the intermediatestretches of wire by the sheaves l I will vary and will thereby exert avariable pull on the wire wrapped around the next preceding wire drawingdrum, it will be apparent that variations in the tension exerted on theintermediate stretches of wire will effect a variation in the speed ofoperation of the next preceding drum. Obviously, variations in the speedor either the succeeding or preceding drum will cause a change in thelength of the intermediate stretches of wire and thereby cause amovement of the tension operating arms l2 and associated parts. Movementof the tension arms l2, through the segment gear 15 and pinion I9, isoperative to efl'ect an adjustment of the tension arm operated rheostatsi8 connected in series with the fields of the next preceding drivemotors to vary the flux of such fields to cause the drive motorsassociated therewith to be slowed down or to be speeded up as thecircumstances require. Obviously, such a speed adjustment of anintermediate drive motor, such as the drive motor 5 of Figs. 1 and 2,will vary the torque exerted by such motor. In order to compensatedirectly for this variation in the torque exerted by the intermediatedrive motor, the tension sheave l i in front of such intermediate drivemotor is adapted to operate the rheostat l8a at the same time itoperates the rheostat l8. Operation of the rheostat [So will eli'ect anadjustment of the field llb of the tension motor i! preceding the drivemotor for the intermediate drum 2 to cause the torqu exerted by suchmotor H to be increased or decreased correspondingly as the torqueexerted by the intermediate drive motor 6 is varied under the influenceof the tension sheave H in advance of the intermediate drive motor 6.

In machines where wire drawing drums are ar-.

ranged in tandem, the maintenance of a desired tension upon thesuccessive intermediate stretches of wire is dependent upon theoperation of both the wire drawing drums between which the successiveintermediate stretches appear. It will be apparent that the arrangementshown in Fig. 3 is automatically operable to maintain the proper tensionirrespective of variations in the operating conditions or either drumdefining such intermediate stretch which would otherwise cause anundesired variation in the tension which it is desired to maintain.

Inthe modified wiring arrangement diagrammatically shown in Fig. 4, thearrangement or parts and operation thereof is substantially the same asdescribed in connection with Fig. 3. One diil'erence lies in the factthat the armatures lla are connected in parallel with the leads 2| and22 of the power line instead 01 in series with the armatures of thedrive motors as in Fig. 3. The other diiference lies in the provision ofan additional field lle for the tension motor armatures Ila, theadditional field lle being connected in series with the armatures of thenext succeeding drive motors. The field lle being in series with thearmatures or the next succeeding drive motors, the torque exerted by thetension motors II will be corresponingly increased or decreased inaccordance with the torque exerted by the next succeeding drive motor tomaintain the intermediate stretch of wire in advance of the diepreceding such succeeding drive motor under the proper and desiredamount of tension. The tension motors H, in this manner, are operativethrough the connected tensioning arms I! to bias the sheaves H againstmovement under the influence of the back tension of the wire beingdrawn.

The general operation of the machine where the motors are constructedand arranged as shown in Fig. 4, will be substantially as describedabove in connection with Fig. 3, and the same operative effect will beobtained as by the first described arrangement. In other words, each ofthe tension arms will be operated so as to automatically impose andmaintain any desired degree or" back tension on the wire in advance ofthe corresponding die.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the tensioning means isautomatically operable to adjust itself in accordance with the operatingconditions of each of the drums defining the stretch of wire on whichthe tension is maintained. That is, the tensioning means intermediateadjacent wire drawing drums is cooperatively associated with theoperating mechanisms for the respective drums in such manner that thetensioning means will be responsive to the operating conditions of bothof such drums and therefore operative to maintain the desired tension onthe stretch of wire intermediate such drums, notwithstanding variationsin the operating conditions of either of such drums.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employedinstead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanismherein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the followingclaims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In wire drawing mechanism, the combination of a die with an electricmotor driven wire drawing drum arranged forwardly thereof for drawingwire therethrough, and a movable tensioning sheave arranged rearwardlythereof for placing a back tension on the wire being drawn, power meanscomprising an electric tensioning motor connectedto said sheave forbiasing the same against movement under the influence of the backtension or the wire being drawn, and

means responsive to the pull of said drawing drum for varying the forceexerted by said electric tensioning motor in accordance with variationsin the pull of said drawing drum.

2. In wire drawing mechanism, the combina tion of a die with an electricmotor driven wire drawing drum arranged forwardly thereof for drawingwire therethrough, and a movable tensioning sheave arranged rearwardlythereof for placing a back tension on the wire being drawn, power meanscomprising an electric tensioning motor connected to said sheave forbiasing the same against movement under the influence of the backtension of the wire being drawn, and means connecting the armature ofthe drive motor for said drawing drum in series with the armature of theelectric tensioning motor to vary the force exerted by said tensioningmotor in accordance with the pull of said drawing drum.

3. In Wire drawing mechanism, the combination of a die with an electricmotor driven wire drawing drum arranged forwardly thereof for drawingwire therethrough, and a movable tensioning sheave arranged rearwarcllythereof for placing a -'back tension on the wire being drawn, powermeans comprising an electric tensioning motor connected to said sheavefor biasing the same against movement under the influence of the backtension of the wire being drawn, and means connecting the armature ofthe drive motor for said drawing drum in series with the field of saidtensioning motor to vary the force exerted by said tensioning motor inaccordance with the pull of said drawing drum.

4. In wire drawing mechanism, the combination of a die with an electricmotor driven wire drawing drum arranged forwardly thereof for drawingwire therethrough, a wire feeding drum arranged rearwardly of said die,and a movable tensioning sheave engageable with the stretch of the wireintermediate said feeding drum for placing a back tension on the wirebeing drawn opposed to the pull of said wire drawing drum, an electrictensioning motor having a power member tending to move in one directionand connected to said sheave for biasing the same against movement underthe influence of the wire being drawn, said power member being movablein an opposite direction upon movement of said sheave against its biasby the tension of l the wire being drawn, means connecting saidtensioning motor with the motor for said drawing drum to vary the forceexerted by said tensioning motor in accordance with variations in thepull of said drawing drum, and means connecting said sheave with saidwire feeding drum for controlling the speed of operation thereof inaccordance with the movement of said sheave.

5. In continuous wire drawing mechanism, the combination of a pluralityof dies and associated electric motor driven drums arranged to draw wirethrough said dies, respectively, a movable tensioning sheave engageablewith the stretch of wire between each drum and the next succeeding diefor placing a back tension on the wire being drawn through such die, andpower means comprising an electric motor connected to said sheave forbiasing the same in a direction maintaining the back tension on the wirebeing drawn, and means connecting the armatures of each of saidtensioning motors in series with the armature of the driving motor forthe following drawing drum to vary the force exerted by such tensioningmotor in accordance with the pull exerted by such drawing drum.

6. In continuous wire drawing mechanism, the combination of a pluralityof dies and associated electric motor driven drums arranged to draw wirethrough said dies, respectively, a movable tensioning sheave engageablewith the stretch of wire between each drum and the next succeeding diefor placing a back tension on the wire being drawn through such die, andpower means corn prising an electric motor connected to said sheave forbiasing the same in a direction maintaining the back tension on the wirebeing drawn,

and means connecting the fields of each of said tensioning motors inseries with the armature of the driving motor for the following drawingdrum to vary the force exerted by such tensioning motor in accordancewith the pull exerted by such drawing drum.

7. In continuous wire drawing mechanism, the combination of a pluralityof dies and associated electric motor driven drums arranged to draw wirethrough said dies, respectively, a movable tensioning sheave engageablewith the stretch of wire between each drum and the next succeeding diefor placing a back tension on the wire being drawn through such die, andpower means comprising an electric motor connected to said sheave forbiasing the same in a direction maintaining the back tension on the wirebeing drawn, and means connecting each of said tensioning motors withthe driving motor for the following drawing drum to vary the forceexerted by such tensioning motor in accordance with the pull exerted bysuch driving motor.

8. In continuous wire drawing mechanism, the combination of a pluralityof dies and associated electric motor driven drums arranged to draw wirethrough said dies, respectively, there being at least one drumintermediate other of said drums, a movable tensioning sheave engageablewith the stretch of wire between each drum and the next succeeding diefor placing a back tension on the wire being drawn through such die,power means comprising an electric motor connected to said sheave forbiasing the same in a direction maintaining the back tension on the wirebeing drawn, and a pair of rheostats respectively operable by movementof the tensioning sheave forwardly of said intermediate drawing drum tovariably control the operation of such intermediate drawing drum and thetensioning motor for the sheave positioned rearwardly of such drum.

9. In continuous wire drawing mechanism, the combination of a pluralityof dies and associated electric motor driven drums arranged to draw wirethrough said dies, respectively, there being at least one drumintermediate other of said drums, a movable tensioning sheave engageablewith the stretch of wire between each drum and the next succeeding diefor placing a back tension on the wire being drawn through such die,

power means connected to said sheaves for biasing the same in adirection maintaining the back tension on the wire being drawn, andmeans cperable by movement of the sheave forwardly of said intermediatedrawing drum to variably COD? trol the operation of such intermediatedrawing drum and the tensioning motor for the sheave positionedrearwardly of such drum.

10. In continuous wire drawing mechanism, the combination of a pluralityof dies and associated electric motor driven drums arranged to draw wirethrough said dies, respectively, a movable tensioning sheave engageablewith the stretch of wire between each drum and the next succeeding diefor placing a back tension on the wire being drawn through such die, andpower means comprising an electric motor connected to said sheave forbiasing the same in a direction maintaining the back tension on the wirebeing drawn, means connecting the armatures of each of said tensioningmotors in series with the armature of the driving motor for thefollowing drawing drum to vary the force exerted by such tensioningmotor in accordance with the pull exerted by such drawing drum, andrheostats operative by movement of said sheaves to vary the flux of thefields oi the next preceding drive motor.

11. In continuous wire drawing mechanism, the combination of a pluralityof dies and associated electric motor driven drums arranged to draw wirethrough said dies, respectively, a movflowing through the armature ofthe next preceding tension operating arm motor to render the backtension upon each stretch of wire responsive to the torque exerted bythe armature oi the succeeding drive motor, and rheostat means operableby movement 01' the respective sheave carrying arms to vary the flux ofthe field of the next preceding drive motor.

NORMAN H. NYE.

